Redbirds show Shockers what they got

The Illinois State men’s basketball team held serve in its Missouri Valley Conference opener against Wichita State at Redbird Arena on Tuesday night. But it took a strong second-half defensive stand by the Redbirds to stop the Shockers, 72-57, on Doug Collins Court. ...

By JOHNNY CAMPOS

Journal Star

By JOHNNY CAMPOS

Posted Dec. 30, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 30, 2009 at 10:24 PM

By JOHNNY CAMPOS

Posted Dec. 30, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 30, 2009 at 10:24 PM

NORMAL

The Illinois State men’s basketball team held serve in its Missouri Valley Conference opener against Wichita State at Redbird Arena on Tuesday night.

But it took a strong second-half defensive stand by the Redbirds to stop the Shockers, 72-57, on Doug Collins Court.

ISU (10-2, 1-0) held Wichita State to just 27 points after intermission and improved to 3-0 in Valley openers under head coach Tim Jankovich.

Senior guard Osiris Eldridge led the way on both ends of the court for the Redbirds, scoring 26 points and limiting Toure Murry, the Shockers’ leading scorer, to just three points on 1-of-8 shooting.

“The first half it was blow- for-blow,” Eldridge said. “We’d score, they’d score, we’d score, they’d score ... kind of made it hard for us to guard. Their bigs were making shots, and everybody seemed like they were making shots.

“The second half we just took the initiative to kind of be more physical with them and kind of push them out,” he added. “Tony (Lewis) and the bigs did a good job slowing them down.”

Lewis, a 6-foot-7 junior college transfer from Chicago, finished with 13 points and eight boards in 18 minutes of playing time.

Eldridge went 9-of-15 from the floor, including 6-of-9 on 3-pointers.

“I knew he was good, and I’ve been saying he’s good,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “Tonight he showed everyone how good he is.

“He was just dynamite. We ran different guys at him, tried to double (team) him on ball screens, tried to deny hikm the basketball ... just about anything we could. But it seemed everything he thew up went in.”

Eldridge’s defense, however, was even more impressive for ISU coach Tim Jankovich. “Last year I would have voted him the best perimiter defender in our league,” Jankovich said. “And I’ve got to believe he’s one of the two or three best defenders in our league at the perimiter position.”

The Shockers, who came into the game with a nine-game winning streak, took a 30-29 lead at intermission.

ISU led by as many as 17 late in the game, and the defense held the visitors to just two baskets in the final 6:41.

Blair finished as high scorer for the Shockers (11-2, 0-1) with 12 points.